FSE

Furry search engine

formerly SoFurry search engine

Four

The cane thudded beside her. She bent and it became a club, the grooved handle fit comfortably in the pads of her hands. What had been the cane's thick half-moon handle became the wickedly tapered head of the club.

Two handed, she brought the weapon over her head, where it lay flat against her back. Bending her cat legs she thrust her hip out with the explosive power of her right leg; her body spun round in a blur, her striped tail trailing a perfect circle, with her as the centrifugal force. Her arms extended and the club shot out into orbit, she spun exactly once more before angling her body towards the ground. The head of the club hit the sand like a comet whirling to the sea.

Above the arena, James Smith laughed in a pitch that hurt Velikofsky's ears 'That's just fantastic! Back home we have a saying; teaching a goat to dance is folly because you'll have wasted your time and have one very frustrated goat. And now I see a cat doing ballet with a club! Are you insane?'

'Big mass is big force. A little mass with bigger speed, eh,' Ivan shrugged, 'you get bigger force.'

'And what's the game plan here?'

'They come high, she goes low. They come low, she goes 'round. If there's nowhere else to go, go up.'

"Bout starts in five seconds."

"Four."

Verushka sank lank low holding the club to her back.

"Three."

The beast and the cat squared off. The Pit Bull salivated as wicked claws dug furrows in anticipation of shredding the smaller cat. Verushka's lower lip flashed pink in the beginning's of a snarl and her tail twitched terribly.

"Two!"

"One! Fight!"

The hulking Pit Bull's charge sprayed sand into the air. Quietly she waited as the thing grew large with the shrinking distance. Then it was on her with an outstretched arm.

From above, the crowd watched as the agile feline's hip shot out and she rolled into her opponent's grasp but instead of being caught she rolled off its forearm and along its bicep before her body twisted out and under its armpit.

Verushka whirled on the confused creature. She scanned its back; shoulders thick, rock hard back; the beast was protected by armor of muscle. Then she spotted the weakness.

"Break!" she snarled as she spun down and accelerated the tapered club head. The momentum of her entire body's weight flowed harmoniously into the point that connected tremendously with the Pit Bull's hock. Its hind leg collapsed as bone exploded to splinters and sinews tore raggedly.

Its snarls echoed off the walls as it turned and threw itself at her with its arms. Retreating, she leaped backwards in an arc. Something halted her viciously in midair as her trailing tail became a leash in the beast's hand.

Her body crashed to the unyielding sand, her breathe exploded painfully from her slender chest and her sight blacked. She was vaguely aware of a piercing pain in her tail.

When her eyes cleared she saw the beast between her knees. It jerked at her tail, she screamed in pain as her body slid towards its snapping jaws. Desperately she arched her back and brought the club down on the thing's reaching claws. Knuckles bent and broke under the impact as the beast let out a terrible snarling howl.

Its grip on her tail loosened and she scrambled away in the bloody sand. Cradling its broken paw it didn't pursue her immediately.

She stumbled away from the howling creature. Resting her back against the cold concrete she sought her wounded tail. Agony shot through her when she beheld it twisted to an acute angle.

The Pit Bull was gathering itself, testing its broken hand on the sand. It ambled clumsily towards her dragging its lame leg like a weight. Across from her Velikofsky was screaming at her to kill; shaking off her fear for the beast she let her breath go and sought a target.

Bringing the weapon over her head she waited as it approached her. Her tail screamed at her and she knew that her balance would be as broken as her counterweight.

The Pit Bull approached with more caution this time, barking its dissatisfaction but avoiding the cane. It made as if to lunge. Verushka saw the movement and brought the club down; it crashed into the sand. Immediately she realized her mistake as fingers clamped her throat and her body was crashed into the arena wall. The force behind the creature was so great that her body folded like a ball around its wrist.

The crowd roared in satisfaction.

Lights exploded in her eyes as the creature squeezed the life out of her.

Her cat instincts kicked in as she instinctively, but ineffectually, clawed at its far away eyes. Its snapping jaw caught her wrist. With its head it yanked viciously at her trapped limb; her dark blood flowed from its mouth.

The pain disappeared and her thoughts swam as consciousness began to leave her. She saw Velikofsky by the rail and felt sad that she would leave him now. His arms swung for her attention, he showed her his throat, then made a clawing gesture. Everything is a weapon, she heard him say in her mind as the tugging in her shoulder faded.

The cat brought her back legs up with wicked claws emerging from them. Curling her whole body upwards she unfolded like a spring, kicking two legged at the Pit Bull's throat. Her claws connected and tore into the hard flesh beneath its head. Claws ripped into skin, tearing through artery, sinew and pipe. Blood gushed from the eviscerated hole that was its throat. The creature staunchly held her while it died.

She brought her body up again but lack of oxygen made her weak; only one foot connected with its throat before her body fell back, thudding against the hard concrete. The Pit Bull grew shaky as its lifeblood flowed copiously from a shredded throat; its howls had become gurgles and yet it held her wrist in its maw and seemed content to wait her out.

Everyone went quiet as they waited. Blood pooled beneath the Pit Bull and its arm shook with the effort of choking the unconscious cat. Velikofsky stood with his face in his hands. Sarkov leaned forward in his chair, looking on gravely.

The beast crumbled and fell. Verushka's body went down like a rag doll beneath the Pit Bull. There was no movement in the broken and bleeding bodies.

The crowd grumbled at the appearance of a tie.

Velikofsky climbed over the rail before throwing himself into the arena. He rolled forward coming to his feet and throwing his weight against the Pit Bull's corpse. The body fell to the side. He pulled the blood soaked cat away from the lifeless Pit Bull. Shaking fingers went to her throat; he felt the flicker of a pulse. A victorious fist told everyone who had won.

"Winner is Vanya the cat!" There were some cheers in the crowd but mostly a disgusted din of dissatisfaction, a lot of people had lost their money but a few had won richly.